Chapter 75: Why Are These Three Women Training in Martial Arts So Hard?
Chapter 75: Chapter 75: Why Are These Three Women Training in Martial Arts So Hard?
Tang Wen looked up at him. "What do you think? Am I raising it well enough?"
Elder Ya came to his senses, clasped his hands behind his back, and huffed, "It’s passable! But you’re still a tiny bit worse than I was in my day."
With that, he walked away quickly, strolling around the courtyard.
Then he saw an apprentice with a finger pecked until it bled, another with a handful of droppings, and another being coldly ignored by a Blood Crow he was trying to feed...
"Phew! See, I told you! How could it possibly be that simple!"
The old man felt vindicated.
He resumed his arrogant strut, pointing at the apprentices and letting loose a tirade.
"Stupid!"
"Hopelessly stupid!"
"I’ve taught so many students, and you lot are the worst batch I’ve ever had!"
"You! You! Still feeding it? You’ve fed it seven worms already! Are you trying to stuff it to death? If your cock ate seven times in one night, you think you could handle it, kid?"
"HAHAHAHAHA"
The other apprentices erupted in gleeful laughter.
The "seven worms" apprentice, blushing furiously, shouted at the others, "Laugh, laugh, laugh! What’s so funny? Could any of you do it?"
The crowd froze.
A voice shouted, "I can!"
"Who said that? You? Li Sanjin, that’s who. Last time at Yihong Tower, you took a minute and thirty seconds to strip and wash up. And you’re claiming you can do it!"
"HAHAHAHAHA"
The courtyard erupted with even more laughter.
Li Sanjin, having been called out, was utterly humiliated. "Fuck!" he cursed, lunging forward with a punch.
The two of them started grappling.
Tang Wen couldn’t help but chuckle.
’These old pervs are something else. A minute and thirty seconds to strip and wash up.’
’Tsk, tsk. That’s some fast washing.’
After making his rounds, Elder Ya returned to Tang Wen’s table, a stern expression on his face.
"This Blood Crow is ready to learn to fly. Each day, have it stand on a tree and push it off twenty times."
"What if it just flies away?" Tang Wen frowned.
"Hmph! You don’t know a thing! This Blood Crow already depends on you. You give it good food and drink, so why would it fly away?"
Elder Ya went on to explain a few more precautions, as well as techniques for teaching the Blood Crow to forage for itself.
After the private lesson, Tang Wen’s Skill broke through.
[Beast Taming Skill, Novice → Beginner (1/1000)]
After all, learning directly from an expert was a highly efficient method.
This Skill wasn’t like Martial Arts Training, where a vast chasm separated learning from practical application.
But with bird-rearing, once you knew the techniques, you could immediately put them into practice.
Another day passed, and Tang Wen’s Breathing Technique broke through.
[Breathing Technique, Master (1/1000)]
This granted him a pathetic 0.1 increase to his Constitution and Spirit Attributes.
It couldn’t be helped. The Breathing Technique was just a common one; the fact that it increased his Attributes at all was a bonus.
"Lord Tang Wen, the ice has been laid."
Xiaoliu emerged from the basement, her little face flushed.
These past few days, besides buying groceries, cooking meals, making meat sandwiches, and cleaning the house, Cui Lian and the other two women also had to make ice in the basement with saltpeter.
The three of them were very diligent, even working late into the night.
Though their bodies ached at the end of each day, they never once complained.
Now, the floor of the basement was paved with ice bricks, and the four walls had also been built up with them.
"Good, I’ll go take a look!"
A chill could be felt as soon as he approached the basement entrance.
"My lord, let me get you some thicker clothes! It’s very cold down there."
"No need. Let’s go."
Inside the basement, a kerosene lamp shone on the neatly stacked ice bricks, refracting a cold, white light.
He reached out a hand to touch it. It was icy cold, feeling like it was just below freezing. They would have to keep making more ice.
He smiled at the three women. "Excellent. You’ve done a great job. Starting today, I’ll teach you Martial Arts Training! But remember, you cannot pass this Cultivation Technique on to anyone without my permission!"
Tang Wen taught them a set of the Eight Vajra Techniques.
Although the three were maids, they ate the same food as Tang Wen. A diet with meat at every meal was more than enough to support their labor and their training.
He wasn’t expecting them to become famous masters or anything. It would be enough if their figures improved—er, if they became healthier, a little stronger, and more efficient in their duties.
The three women came from farming families, so fieldwork and household chores were part of their daily routine.
The three were immensely grateful to Tang Wen for teaching them a martial art.
The way they looked at Tang Wen was a mixture of respect, adoration, and affection, practically pouring from their eyes.
A few days later, Zhou Bing returned from outside and once again saw thirteen-year-old Xiaoliu staring infatuatedly at Tang Wen as he practiced. Unable to hold back any longer, she called the girl over.
The young girl’s face went pale. She stood before Zhou Bing with her head bowed, looking as if she had done something wrong.
She had been acting like this ever since Tang Wen had personally guided her through the training forms a few days prior.
Such are the first stirrings of love in a young girl’s heart.
Zhou Bing didn’t scold her. Instead, she said, "Focus on your Martial Arts Training. If you can become a Martial Artist within three years, I’ll allow you to be his concubine."
"Eh? Thank you, Lady Zhou Bing!" The young girl’s head snapped up, and she moved to kneel in gratitude.
Zhou Bing reached out and stopped her. "Just focus on your training."
"Yes, yes! I’ll be sure to train hard."
"Lady Zhou Bing, I’ll train hard too!" Peach Blossoms, standing nearby, boldly declared her own intentions.
"Hah! Alright." Zhou Bing smiled. "In that case, you too, Cui Lian. You’re not too old. It’s not too late for you to start Martial Arts Training. Once you all become Martial Artists, I’ll let you be his concubines."
"Ah, th-this...?" Cui Lian, holding her daughter, tried to act demure.
But she was also afraid of completely losing the opportunity if she refused.
She could only twist a handkerchief in her hands, her head bowed in silent consent.
"Mama, what’s a concubine?" Little Taotao asked, blinking her dark, innocent eyes as she tilted her face up.
"Hush! Children shouldn’t ask such questions." Cui Lian’s cheeks flushed bright red with embarrassment.
"Oh," Little Taotao replied timidly.
That evening, when it was time for Martial Arts Training, the three women were exceptionally focused.
Although they were still unfamiliar with the movements of the Vajra Technique, their attitude was one of utmost seriousness.
’What’s gotten into these three? Why are they so serious today?’ Tang Wen wondered.
Zhou Bing shot him an exasperated look, then strode over in two long-legged steps. She wrapped an arm around his waist and gazed at his handsome, youthful face.
For a moment, she too was mesmerized. ’Hmph. My man certainly has what it takes to make women swoon.’
The days passed peacefully.
Tang Wen spent the vast majority of his time training every day. He was basically slacking off when it came to managing and training the Outer City Hunting Battalion.
The rare times he did show up, it was usually because he was bored with his training. He would take a Hunting Team out of the city to hunt and smoke meat.
Zhou Bing, however, didn’t have his monstrous physique. Seven to eight hours of tempering her body each day was her absolute limit; any more would damage both her mind and body.
The training and daily management of the Outer City Hunting Battalion fell to her.
The ice in the basement piled higher and higher, the temperature dropping with each passing day.
When warm water brought inside turned to ice in moments, Tang Wen knew the temperature had dropped to more than ten degrees below zero Celsius, which was cold enough.
Cui Lian and the other two women had to bundle up in thick winter clothes just to go down there to work.
Otherwise, the cold was unbearable.
Meanwhile, the first batch of smoked meat was ready.
Tang Wen set up a rack of bamboo poles in the basement and hung over a thousand pounds of cured meat on it.
Over a thousand pounds of cured meat sounded like a lot, but in reality, it didn’t even fill a corner of the basement’s first level.
His plan to stockpile food had only just begun.
He would need much more cured meat and Maize.
As for vegetables, he could grow some in the courtyard as long as the well didn’t run dry.
Vegetables grew quickly in the warm weather, like chives in a spring field. You could cut them down, and in just a few days, they’d be ready to harvest again.
That morning, a routine meeting was held at the General’s Mansion.
This time, the agenda was to assign merits and distribute rewards.
Everyone unanimously agreed that Tang Wen and Zhou Bing deserved the highest honors.
Without them, the others wouldn’t have even been able to find their targets.
What’s more, they had taken down ten of the enemy’s men themselves.
But discussing merits was one thing, and handing out rewards was another. When it came time to do so, General Zhao found himself in a difficult position.
Unsure of what to give them, he could only ask, "Do you two have any requests? As long as it’s within our power, the battalion will grant it."
The two exchanged a glance. Tang Wen smiled and said, "In that case, why don’t you wait until I’ve performed another great service, and you can reward me for both at once!"
Hmm?
The Commanders shook their heads. ’Was it really so easy to earn merits these days?’ they thought.
As the Queen and the others watched with curiosity, he pulled out two bags from behind his back—one large and one small.
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